Remember Nic’s incredible performance as Don Corleone? How about his incredible performance in “X-Men?”

Or the best ever, what about his role as Lois Lane in “Superman Returns?”

Wait, wait wait – WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

Last month, the Motherboard website told the story of a Redditor who was using deep learning technology to map female celebrities’ faces onto pornographic performers, with startlingly lifelike results. That is a troubling trend in the era of “fake news”, as apparently it’s virtually impossible to spot the fake video.

One report referred to the process as “deep fakes”.

So of course, someone did the same thing – with Nicolas Cage!

Nicolas Cage – Star Of EVERYTHING!

Yes, you can now put Nicolas Cage into “The Avenger” or frankly, just about any other movie you want!

“3 Buck Theater” posted this explainer on YouTube:

“A new deep learning software called FakeApp (or just known as DeepFakes on reddit) allows users to add Nicolas Cage (or any celebrity) to any movie they want. While the technology is in a “showcase” phase at the moment, this will go far to bring dead actors to life once again.”

Here is that video showing examples of how Cage’s face was put on Lois Lane’s body seamlessly:

So, you could actually remake “Oceans 11” with Nicolas Cage as all of the characters!

Indiewire also had a story about this new technology, and as they point out:

“By scanning a bunch of images of a celebrity’s face, the software was able to imagine what they’d look like grafted into a given video—a powerful technology being used in one of the worst possible ways. The result barrels past legal and ethical boundaries, raising a whole host of free speech issues regarding the women whose likenesses are being used without their consent. There are surprisingly few legal recourses for them, at least in America.”

I’m old enough to feel threatened by this new technology as much as I feel excited about new possibilities. Laws will have to be changed to catch up but there is an inevitability about this stuff. I’m a dirty hound dog as much as the next guy but if a woman didn’t do something with her consent and some form of payment and its not even her then I don’t really agree with that. But it is inevitable.

I included that comment from the article for that very reason – it will be virtually impossible to detect fake footage going forward – and with so much “fake news” already, it is going to be a real issue

I love this! And cage looks great as Clooney, on the ‘Ocean’s’ poster. 🙂 I have seen fake porn stills of what are apparently famous stars naked (or worse). There is even a UK trend to add the faces of fairly ordinary-looking TV presenters onto lurid stills too. Nothing is safe anymore, with the advances in computer manipulation. If it was my wife or girlfriend, I would probably be outraged. But until then… 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.

I love great food, interesting books, fascinating travel, outrageous movies, and bacon, especially when it sits on top of a great cheeseburger!
I work in entertainment - and I have been lucky enough to interview some really talented Artists - that guides my posts: interesting and provocative movies, music, social media and of course, food, since I believe strongly in the maxim, "everyone eats!"